Tag Archives: SQM

How to Support Local Businesses During COVID-19

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The past few weeks have been a trying time for many Canadians, both personally and financially.  One sector of the economy that has been particularly hard hit by the lockdown is local and small businesses. Unfortunately, many companies have been forced to close their doors, while others are struggling to make ends meet.  Although online support has been fantastic, there still needs to be more done instead of simply “liking” a post or photo.

Here are some simple ways that you can support local businesses:

1. Participate in Takeout Wednesday
Takeout Wednesday is just as it sounds. The idea was started by restaurant owners to raise awareness that while it may not look like it, many restaurants remain open for takeout and delivery.  So, every Wednesday, you can show your support by purchasing lunch or dinner from a local establishment.  Personally, I recommend, delivery, as it allows you to continue social distancing, and avoid crowded restaurant lobbies.

2. Purchase a Gift Card
If you don’t feel a need to buy anything at this time, you can still show your support by purchasing a gift card or credit for your favourite restaurants, stores, salons and spas.

3. Online Services
While it may not seem so, many local businesses are currently offering ways you can purchase their products or services from the comfort of your homes.  Check if your favourite place offers online purchases.

4. Tips
When possible, simply tip or give some extra money to the people helping out.  Whether it’s the delivery person or someone who may not necessarily be in a position that normally receives a gratuity, these days it is certainly appreciated by frontline workers.

5. Reschedule Instead of Refunding
If you have an event coming up, such as an appointment with your hairdresser or barbershop, simply reschedule for a later date instead of asking for a refund.  Even if you haven’t paid for anything, trust me, they will appreciate the support

6. Schedule an Appointment or Make a Reservation
Another way to support small businesses is by scheduling an appointment at a salon, spa or making a reservation for months into the future at your favourite restaurant.  While many services are on hold until the lockdown ends, many businesses are still willing to book appointments and take reservations.

7. Share
While liking a post is helpful to gain popularity, you can also share your own posts about the local business you support to raise more awareness and gain even more support.

8. Don’t Forget About Summer Contractors
While we are still under lockdown, you can still continue with any summer outdoor home improvement project, from fixing your roof to doing dome landscaping.  Seasonal workers only have a short window to do this work, so book now.

9. Donate
If you don’t shop locally, it is still great to show support.  You can simply make a donation by going to a gofundme page.

This virus has tested many Canadians and has been hard on everyone, however with a bit of help, we can all support local businesses until there is an end to social distancing.

 

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How to Celebrate Mother’s Day in Lockdown

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Coronavirus changing Mother's Day plans - WFMJ.com

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, things will look a bit different, this year, with everyone practicing social distancing.  But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t celebrate your mother on May 10th.  Here’s a list of ways to celebrate:

1. Purchase Flowers – Although many of us are still on lockdown, there are still many flower shops that are currently open and ready to deliver. 1800-flowers is a company still open that ships in Canada and the United States just by simply placing an order on their website. Alternatively, you could support your local florist by checking if they are currently open and sending out deliveries.

2. Order a Mother’s Day Brunch or Dinner – This year while we are stuck at home, other ways to celebrate is by hosting brunch or dinner by sending your mother her favourite cuisine from a local restaurant, or even looking up the recipes and making the meal yourself.

3. Create a Spa Day – If you’re currently at home with your mother, you can host a spa day with her; by purchasing an assortment of masks, nail equipment and any spa needs at your local drug store.

4. Tea Time – Many usually spend their time with their mothers having tea and a small lunch.  So, to celebrate this year, you can still do the same, but it will look a bit different. You can drop off some teas to your mom and have your teatime while on a video call, so you’re still spending time together.

5. Create a virtual slideshow – To honour your mother this year, create a slideshow full of your favourite photos and videos.  Creating the slideshow is simple and can be done on sites such as Smilebox.  You can create a free account and look through the many mother’s day templates and add in your own photos.

6. Game Time – To celebrate, have a games night with some board games or puzzles. You could even create a family-based trivia game.

7. Have a Movie Night – Whether you’re together or apart if you and your mom are movie buffs, then have a movie night.  You can enjoy your favourite movies together or checkout brand new films available on demand.

8. Drop off care packages – If you’re older and spending time away from your mother, you can simply plan a drop-off.  Create a simple care package filled with all of your mom’s favourite items, including her favourite chocolates, wine and anything else she loves.

9. Have a virtual meetup – Since many people are celebrating apart, you can simply create a zoom chat with your entire family and friends to celebrate together.  Simply go on Zoom and organize your own meeting, and you can invite anyone.

10. Give mom some free time – Many families have had to deal with the added responsibility of working from home and also helping their children with online classes, so, give mom some alone time / downtime where she can unwind on her special day.

Whatever way you celebrate, Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there!

 

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Top Nine Ways To Celebrate The Valentine’s Day Long Weekend

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Valentine’s Day (or as some people like to call it, the International Day of Love) is almost here, and we have you covered for great ideas to celebrate. Whether you are spending some quality alone time, hanging out with your friends or with that special someone, here are SQM’s top nine ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2020. 

“Pal-entine’s” Day.

Who says Valentine’s Day needs to be all about romance, candlelit dinners and flowers? Grab your friends, order a pizza and dessert and have yourselves a party. Celebrate your friendship by having a board game night, having a movie marathon with your favourite rom-coms or sci-fi flicks, or complete a thousand-piece puzzle. Take time to celebrate your friendship and enjoy each other’s company. 

Ikea Date

This year, Ikea is rolling out the red carpet by offering a three-course meal, all for the low low price of $29.99 for members and $34.99 for non-members. Enjoy a dinner for two and then have the time of your life roaming the store looking for the great next purchase. 

Dinner and a Show

This is a classic date night option for a reason. It gives you and that special someone a reason to get dressed up, eat a delicious meal, talk about the meaning of life while staring deeply into each other’s eyes. Obviously, this will all be done over a shared plate of spaghetti (a la The Lady and the Tramp) before going to enjoy a night of cinematic excitement, artistic talent or theatrical drama. Check your local listings for great shows and performances scheduled around Valentine’s Day.

Take A Class Together

Get out of your comfort zone and bond with the ones you love by checking out a new activity together. Whether that’s trying out a cooking class to teach you the skills to master that Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe, busting out a dance move or two at a salsa or ballroom dance class, or learning to find your inner peace through meditation and yoga.

Weekend Getaway

Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to get away for the weekend. Lucky for you, this year Valentine’s Day falls right before the Family Day long weekend. Take this opportunity to head out of the city for a cozy getaway with that special someone. Visit Montreal to experience the architecture, food and culture, or go to Blue Mountain for skiing. If neither of those options sounds like your cup of tea, try going to the wine country and see if you can book a wine tasting tour.

Recreate your first date or favourite date

A wonderful and meaningful way to spend your Valentine’s Day with that special someone is recreating your first date. It is such a romantic and thoughtful gesture that really shows that you care.

NBA All-Star Weekend

For all you basketball fans, whether you’re #TeamGiannis or #TeamLeBron, get together with your friends and family to cheer on your team this Sunday!

Give Back

During the season of love, show how much you love and care about your community by giving back. Grab your friends, family and partner and volunteer to help the less fortunate.

Treat Yourself: Self Love

Take some time out of your busy schedule and treat yourself with some “me time” and self-care. Whether that means, getting a massage or your nails done, having a quiet night in or treating yourself to a new book or sweater, take the time to appreciate yourself and all the hard work that you do throughout the year.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

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Leaving The Competition In The Dust

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For my last blog, I highlighted a family-run dry cleaning business so while I’m on the topic of household-related items I wanted to talk about a family-run appliance repair store called York Appliance Vacuums.

The first time I visited the store, I happened to be in the area and so stopped in, as I was having problems with my Shop-Vac. I was very pleased that within 10 minutes, they were able to fix my problem efficiently and at a reasonable price. In fact, I was even given a longer cord to replace my other one, making it much better.

In more recent times, I was having trouble with my Dyson vacuum, so I called up York Appliance to ask for help, as I’ve been pleased with their service in the past. They don’t normally work on Dyson vacuums (Dyson apparently does their own repairs) but they took the time to look at it for about 15 minutes and gave me suggestions and ideas that might fix the problem.

Often these days in business, people are just looking for instant gratification and hang up the phone if they don’t get a sale right away. Even though this call would not result in a sale, the owner spent some time to keep a customer like me happy and engaged.

If you’re looking to support a family business, or for a reputable place to buy, service, or fix your vacuums, take a look at York Appliance.

York Appliance Vacuums
416-488-3231
https://yorkappliance.ca/

 

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Clean-Cut Customer Service

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As much as I’m trying to share information about companies that are across Canada and North America, I do like to occasionally give a shout out to local businesses that I’m familiar with.  One such company is Stork Cleaners, a laundry and dry cleaning business that’s been serving the local community since 1964.

Stork Cleaners happens to be owned by a gentleman named Fred, who lives in my neighbourhood.  The store was originally owned by Fred’s dad but is now run by him and his sister-in law.  The business has a large following and loyal clientele because they do great work.  Fred even offers a pick-up and drop-off service, knowing that many of his customers are busy and can’t always make it over to the store.  

I personally go to him for my shirts and suits, but I’ve noticed that a lot of people go to him for special items, such as:  wedding dresses, expensive coats, blankets, and other miscellaneous items.

Fred is extremely efficient, organized, and always a pleasure to deal with. If you happen to lose your ticket, Fred keeps his own records so that he can easily keep track of everything and find your items.  If you’re in a time crunch, Fred will do his best to make things work and will package or put your clothes on hangers depending on your preferences. On top of that, he’s very reasonably priced and easy to work with.

For someone looking for a cleaner or to wash more delicate items, I’d suggest Fred and the team at Stork Cleaners.

Stork Cleaners
416-635-0550
storkcleaners.com

 

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Winter and Holiday Activities

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1. Distillery District

Known for its Christmas Market, the Distillery District transports its guests to a holiday wonderland filled with lights, Christmas stalls filled with food and knickknacks, as well as, live carolling. You can continue the fun by checking out the amazing displays at the annual Toronto Light Festival from January 17th – March 1st, 2020.

2. Hockey

In typical Canadian fashion, what are the holidays without hockey? Check out your local Minor teams, the OHL, the AHL, and if you’re feeling jolly, spring for those NHL tickets. If you’re a Leafs Fanatic, mark your calendars to see the team practice at Nathan Phillps Square on January 9th, 2020!

3. CNE Aurora Winter Festival

This is definitely the place to take your kids. From the rides and games to the ice rink, magical forest, and whimsical holiday-themed events, this is a ton of fun for the family. You can purchase your tickets online (Presto Cardholders get a 15% discount). You can also get your skate on and enjoy free skate rentals on Wednesdays!

4. Ballet

Christmas is the time to see the Nutcracker. Enjoy The National Ballet of Canada’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic until January 4th, 2020.

5. Ice Skating

Show off your skills! Check out DJ Skate Nights at the Harbourfront Centre and get free skating lessons at the Bentway Skating Trail. You can also visit Ontario Place, Nathans Phillips Square or your local ice rink.

6. Courthouse visit

For all of you crime show enthusiasts, visit your local courthouse to see a real courtroom proceeding. Check out the court’s website to find out about the proper etiquette and to view the daily court lists to see which cases are being heard.

7. Trivia

Do you know what’s fun? Pub trivia. Go test your vast knowledge of pop culture, history, literature and science, and show off your trivia skills. Bar trivia is not just a holiday classic fun time, but an all year round great way to spend with friends and family.

8. Give back

The holidays are a time for giving. Check out some of the many charities across the city to help those less fortunate this holiday season.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!

 

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A (Sirius) Case of Customer Support

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Two Ways to Add SiriusXM Satellite Radio to Your Car

For many years, my wife has been a huge fan of Howard Stern – an American radio and TV personality best known for The Howard Stern Show.  This particular radio show is only available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio, and since there are already more stations on the radio than I know what to listen to, I was never keen on paying extra for another 200 stations.

Nevertheless, my wife convinced me to give it a try, so we added the satellite radio service to one of our vehicles.  Since first doing so, a few years ago, Sirius has been very good at retaining my business.  When I first bought my car I had three free months of satellite radio, and it was so good I ended up purchasing a subscription.  Whenever my subscription comes to an end, they seem to come up with a reasonable price, within my budget to keep me happy and willing to continue with the service.

Last summer, unfortunately, my need for satellite radio temporarily came to an end when we had a car accident and the car was written off.  I called up Sirius, thinking it would be a hassle to cancel my remaining subscription, but they were very easy to deal with and very sympathetic to my situation.  They even provided me with two options….. cancelling the remaining months and providing a refund or allowing me to place my subscription on hold.  For a number of reasons I asked them to cancel my subscription and they did so—without a problem.  A little while later, they sent me a kindly-worded email, hoping I’d return someday.

When I finally did get the new car, a couple of months later, I called to renew my subscription and once again, they were great to deal with. They’re pleasant to talk to over the phone, you’re never on hold for too long, and they keep in touch with email as well.  In the case of the new vehicle, it came with a free three-month subscription, and they provided a reasonable rate for me to continue after the 90-day trial.

At first, I didn’t think that having hundreds of extra radio stations would be of value, but if you’re looking to listen to jazz, blues, Howard Stern, or anything in between, there’s something for everybody.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio
1-888-539-7474
https://www.siriusxm.ca/

 

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